I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[ladyderks]

Hi! Looking for advice on if would be wise to switch up our card(s).

Current main card- Chase Disney Premier Visa. We have not opened any credit cards in the last 24 months, do not carry any credit card balances, and have high credit scores.

We put everything we possibly can on the card and pay it off in full at the end of the month, so I’m not really concerned much about interest rates. Statements range from 5,500 to 7,000, depending on the month. We don’t spend much on gas, but we do spend a good amount on groceries, and a decent amount on eating out. Travel wise we do 5-6 overnight weekend trips, a week in Disney (and now branching out to Universal) every September, and we usually hit up Hilton Head (rental vs hotel) for a week each summer. As the kids get older, we are branching out a bit (this year we will be staying in VA and DC for a week).

We also have the following cards - which we charge something to every so often just to keep open, as they are old and I’m not sure I want my credit score to take the hit of closing such old accounts:

-BOA unlimited cash rewards (used to be a BOA Yankees/MLB card circa 2005, but they discontinued the program and just sent us our new cards for the UCR card last week - so I know nothing about this card).
-AMEX Blue cash everyday

Considering - Chase sapphire reserve or preferred. Would be using mainly for hotel rentals. I’ve read up on the differences between the two, and I still can’t decide which is the best bet. Any advice is appreciated

 

[elgerber]

They would either send you a check for the $12,000 or do a direct deposit into your bank account. If you can take advantage of any of the PYB categories they would be worth more

It’s just nuts to me that they would just give me that much . I have no intentions of doing so.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

It’s just nuts to me that they would just give me that much . I have no intentions of doing so.

I’ve saved more than than with PYB on my CSR over the years…..it basically offsets dining costs when visiting our son in Orlando…and SW flights with the CP makes flying free…so between the 2 we are able to visit more frequently

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Hi! Looking for advice on if would be wise to switch up our card(s).

Current main card- Chase Disney Premier Visa. We have not opened any credit cards in the last 24 months, do not carry any credit card balances, and have high credit scores.

We put everything we possibly can on the card and pay it off in full at the end of the month, so I’m not really concerned much about interest rates. Statements range from 5,500 to 7,000, depending on the month. We don’t spend much on gas, but we do spend a good amount on groceries, and a decent amount on eating out. Travel wise we do 5-6 overnight weekend trips, a week in Disney (and now branching out to Universal) every September, and we usually hit up Hilton Head (rental vs hotel) for a week each summer. As the kids get older, we are branching out a bit (this year we will be staying in VA and DC for a week).

We also have the following cards - which we charge something to every so often just to keep open, as they are old and I’m not sure I want my credit score to take the hit of closing such old accounts:

-BOA unlimited cash rewards (used to be a BOA Yankees/MLB card circa 2005, but they discontinued the program and just sent us our new cards for the UCR card last week - so I know nothing about this card).
-AMEX Blue cash everyday

Considering - Chase sapphire reserve or preferred. Would be using mainly for hotel rentals. I’ve read up on the differences between the two, and I still can’t decide which is the best bet. Any advice is appreciated

……you could do a MDD…with the 2 cards for both bonuses….apply for 1 one day…and the second the day after the 1st card is approved ..if you search here others have explained it in more detail….once the spending is met on those…have your P2…DH or DW apply for both as well…have them apply for the CSP first from your support link

 

[Arcades]

Hi! Looking for advice on if would be wise to switch up our card(s).

Current main card- Chase Disney Premier Visa. We have not opened any credit cards in the last 24 months, do not carry any credit card balances, and have high credit scores.

We put everything we possibly can on the card and pay it off in full at the end of the month, so I’m not really concerned much about interest rates. Statements range from 5,500 to 7,000, depending on the month. We don’t spend much on gas, but we do spend a good amount on groceries, and a decent amount on eating out. Travel wise we do 5-6 overnight weekend trips, a week in Disney (and now branching out to Universal) every September, and we usually hit up Hilton Head (rental vs hotel) for a week each summer. As the kids get older, we are branching out a bit (this year we will be staying in VA and DC for a week).

We also have the following cards - which we charge something to every so often just to keep open, as they are old and I’m not sure I want my credit score to take the hit of closing such old accounts:

-BOA unlimited cash rewards (used to be a BOA Yankees/MLB card circa 2005, but they discontinued the program and just sent us our new cards for the UCR card last week - so I know nothing about this card).
-AMEX Blue cash everyday

Considering - Chase sapphire reserve or preferred. Would be using mainly for hotel rentals. I’ve read up on the differences between the two, and I still can’t decide which is the best bet. Any advice is appreciated

The first question you have to ask yourself is: How much mental energy/work do you want to put in amassing travel rewards? The second question is: How many cards are you willing to juggle at one time? If you're willing to track your cards and juggle more than one, you can look at the largest sign up bonuses (SUB) that your spending habits can achieve in a 3 month span (including business credit cards - as a sole proprietorship). If you just want one "do everything" type of card, then look for one with a decent sign up bonus and category multipliers that meet your every day spending. For instance, the Citi Premier card offers 60,000 ThankYou points for signing up, then 3x on groceries/gas/restaurants. The new IHG Premier (both business and personal) offers 140,000 points and 5x on gas/dining/travel. Of course, if you have a brand preference that will also change things.

With your spend you could be hitting large MSRs like the Chase Ink Preferred and American Express Platinum. Every card is available to you with the kind of spend you're able to generate each month.

 

[Sheree]

Thank you to everyone for all their advice. I managed to hit the spend on our 2 ciu business by buying virtual visas and prepaying our electric bill. (our 2 gas companies don't take cc). so that's a whew.

frustrating as we have the spend but the cl was so low.

all the vet bills wound up on our surpass. good thing is we already earned the yearly fnc and I'll do the spread over time, which i didn't know about if not for this board.

I'll as transfer all our URs to the csp account and look into PYB (again hadn't been aware of)

next up is the msr for the venture x which should be easy. 10k over 6 months with high cl

hope the SUB for csr goes up again, that'll be for me next

Sher

 

[hsmamato2]

Amassing points? I tend to try and hold a smallish chunk for whatever comes up.... I pretty earn,and use them as I go along. I don't need a big stash as much as I need to use them and take a break from real life I did cash out around 700-900k UR over the past couple of years....used that to help pay off our mortgage early and buy a few nice things with PYB also. Still have some left for whatever tho- I LOVE Hilton, but those don't go too far,so I hold on to those a bit- IHG I also like a lot b/c it's so easy to use them just about anywhere- Marriott I have just a few left which Im saving for....not sure what lol. SWA I have plenty of (easy to accrue) plus the CP for a couple of years, now I just have to use them intentionally. Used up my MR mostly transferring to Hilton or Marriott when it was a bonus -oh and I still have about 50k AA left which could be useful at some point.....

 

[babyready]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the AMEX Express Delta Gold. I am trying to help my parents choose a card to help them get to Alaska next year and I am not very familiar with airline cards outside of Southwest. I think people have been talking about this card a bit but I haven't paid much attention since I didn't think it applied to me!

The current offer on this card is 50,000 pts. plus a $400 statement credit good for Delta in the first three months. The 50,000 should get them to Alaska but wondering what they could use the statement credit for. They have no other trips planned. Would it work on a Delta gift card? Other things that I am not thinking of?

Thanks!

 

[afan]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the AMEX Express Delta Gold. I am trying to help my parents choose a card to help them get to Alaska next year and I am not very familiar with airline cards outside of Southwest. I think people have been talking about this card a bit but I haven't paid much attention since I didn't think it applied to me!

The current offer on this card is 50,000 pts. plus a $400 statement credit good for Delta in the first three months. The 50,000 should get them to Alaska but wondering what they could use the statement credit for. They have no other trips planned. Would it work on a Delta gift card? Other things that I am not thinking of?

Thanks!

I would check flyertalk since they'll have current dps on what people have been able to use it for.

 

[jujubiee4]

I see Discover cash back quarter includes gas stations. Does anyone know or have experience if
these include Sam's club?

 

[elgerber]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the AMEX Express Delta Gold. I am trying to help my parents choose a card to help them get to Alaska next year and I am not very familiar with airline cards outside of Southwest. I think people have been talking about this card a bit but I haven't paid much attention since I didn't think it applied to me!

The current offer on this card is 50,000 pts. plus a $400 statement credit good for Delta in the first three months. The 50,000 should get them to Alaska but wondering what they could use the statement credit for. They have no other trips planned. Would it work on a Delta gift card? Other things that I am not thinking of?

Thanks!

It has worked in the past, but I have no idea now. Just FYI there is an offer for 70000 miles with no fee for the first year, and $2k spend on the Gold right now.

 

[wanderlust7]

Hello,

I have a question regarding the AMEX Express Delta Gold. I am trying to help my parents choose a card to help them get to Alaska next year and I am not very familiar with airline cards outside of Southwest. I think people have been talking about this card a bit but I haven't paid much attention since I didn't think it applied to me!

The current offer on this card is 50,000 pts. plus a $400 statement credit good for Delta in the first three months. The 50,000 should get them to Alaska but wondering what they could use the statement credit for. They have no other trips planned. Would it work on a Delta gift card? Other things that I am not thinking of?

Thanks!

The offer is $400 statement credit for any Delta purchase. I've done this type of offer before with a $50 Delta GC (lowest amount). If they earn and redeem the miles fast enough, they can probably trigger it with taxes on the award too (but it would need to be within 3 months of opening the card).

Delta awards have dynamic pricing. Have you checked availability to see if 50k is enough? It sounds low to me for 2 roundtrip tickets.

 

[havaneselover]

I need a break from Southwest. Schedule changes have been a lot. When I visit my parents (fly RIC to RSW) my options are either leaving before 6 AM or arriving around midnight. Last night was not a great experience--in ATL they basically had to wait for all connecting flights to arrive which put us over an hour behind schedule. After three trips with flight attendants who were great, I found one who was on a power trip and insistent that not even a hair on the puppy's head be out of the carrier. Then she sent someone from the gate to request proof I had paid for the dog. He didn't say please or thank you and was pretty rude. I ended up getting home around 2 AM (flight delay, slow at baggage claim, only one airport parking shuttle running when two planes arrived) and I'm glad I'm not going anywhere until Europe. But I did have a great time with DD and a good visit with my parents.

 

[wanderlust7]

My gold biz SUB finally posted 2 weeks after meeting MSR. That was a nail biter! I know that Amex SUBs can sometimes get delayed, but it's never happened to me.

Chatted to ask if I met MSR a couple days ago. Wasn't very helpful at all. Rep said I had $9000 more to go!

 

[tink1970]

My gold biz SUB finally posted 2 weeks after meeting MSR. That was a nail biter! I know that Amex SUBs can sometimes get delayed, but it's never happened to me.

Chatted to ask if I met MSR a couple days ago. Wasn't very helpful at all. Rep said I had $9000 more to go!

Those chats always are 50/50 accuracy wise for me I was mildly stressing since I hadn't seen my SUB either, then woke up to it so was super happy. I can always use more MRs

 

[Judique]

I need a break from Southwest. Schedule changes have been a lot. When I visit my parents (fly RIC to RSW) my options are either leaving before 6 AM or arriving around midnight. Last night was not a great experience--in ATL they basically had to wait for all connecting flights to arrive which put us over an hour behind schedule. After three trips with flight attendants who were great, I found one who was on a power trip and insistent that not even a hair on the puppy's head be out of the carrier. Then she sent someone from the gate to request proof I had paid for the dog. He didn't say please or thank you and was pretty rude. I ended up getting home around 2 AM (flight delay, slow at baggage claim, only one airport parking shuttle running when two planes arrived) and I'm glad I'm not going anywhere until Europe. But I did have a great time with DD and a good visit with my parents.

You may be too busy to write it but that evening calls for a written out review similar to what you've told us, not asking for compensation but giving a little insight into how the people serving you could have provided a more pleasant experience for you and them. CC to customer service and whoever else you can add in.

The consumer expects a lot these days but companies dish it out and don't seem aware sometimes how they are hurting their brand image. Disney in Orlando, for example.

 

[havaneselover]

You may be too busy to write it but that evening calls for a written out review similar to what you've told us, not asking for compensation but giving a little insight into how the people serving you could have provided a more pleasant experience for you and them. CC to customer service and whoever else you can add in.

The consumer expects a lot these days but companies dish it out and don't seem aware sometimes how they are hurting their brand image. Disney in Orlando, for example.

Yes, a little kindness would have gone a long way. And in fairness it's generally the norm with Southwest in my experience.

 

[WardFam]

I need some input from internet strangers and out of all the forums I dabble in I trust the judgements of everyone here the most .

I have been amassing Amex points with the goal of surprising DH for our 15th anniversary. I am going lie-flat first class on Hawaiian . Only bummer is I have to leave out of SEA to get the A330 with the lie flats. I was planning on doing the platinum pay with points +35% back. On a $1200ish ticket it seems to make the most sense. I just can't seem to pick an island! We have done Oahu (our first trip was here and we have some real warm and fuzzy vibes for North Shore/Turtle Bay), and we just did Kauai for the first time in December and loved Princeville/Hanalei except they were having crazy heavy rains and flooding--the ocean was terrifying and it was pretty chilly. I think that was an extreme due to December+ a bad weather system but I don't know--are Kauai beaches swimmable in late summer?

So for those that Hawaii....On an 6-8 night trip sometime in August-Oct would you island hop and cover both Oahu and Kauai or just pick a lane and settle in for a week? I've done an island hop before and even though it's only <1 hour flight it really does manage to eat a day. We've done the tourist things so it would be beach, relaxing, and hitting some favorites.

kauai is so beautiful in the summer and I agree that island hopping takes up too much time in a day, but it can be fun to spend a few days up north and maybe try to get a couple of nights at the Grand Hyatt Kauai - it is such a great deal on points! There are so many fun beaches in Kauai you could spend every day exploring a couple and not run out. My favorite thing to do is rent some snorkel gear and just explore! We have also found some fun happy hours with live music and I love the Napali Coast tour on a zodiac boat. My boys loved cliff jumping at Shipwreck Beach, but that was a little too adventurous for me. You can hike to waterfalls or kayak up rivers if you want some more activities. One of my very favorite things is to take the dirt road at the very south end of the island all the way out to Polihale to watch the sunset, have a bonfire and watch the starts come out. It is so beautiful!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Quick SW question. If P2 buys me a ticket for a flight using her RRs can she fly as my companion? I don't see why this would be a problem but we are just getting used to being a 1 CP family. She has all the points left right now but I'm the one with the CP.

Not a problem.

I bought my son a ticket with my miles, and he used his CP to book a ticket for my dd.

Yes I’ve used DHs RR points to book myself a ticket and add him as my companion

Yes, it doesn’t matter whose points are used for the purchase.

My mind is blown I never knew this was such a thing! I'm the one with a gazillion RR and dh will be the one with the CP for the next year. I had thought I'd need to transfer UR to his SW account but this is so much better!

 

[StephPlum]

but I only know you guys on here! I am thinking about Universal in late Nov (after Tgiving)/early Dec. Last trip was 2019 before all of the changes with the dated tickets. If I buy tickets from UCT for Nov 28th, what happens if I cancel? They don't appear to be refundable. I'm ok with that. Just not sure how to change the date so I can use them later (even ok if I have to pay price difference later). I just don't want to eat the entire cost if I can't go in Nov. There is a promo now buy 3 days, get 2 free. I'd like to jump on that now. Does that promo last awhile or come around often?